Bloomberg can recover from last week's debate by answering these questions
Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg speaks during a campaign event Thursday in Salt Lake City. Credit: AP / Rick Bowmer
As someone who has prepped others for debates, here is how former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg must answer three pressing questions at Tuesday night's debate.
Q: Mayor Bloomberg, by many accounts, you did not do well in your first debate. How do your assess your performance and how have you prepared differently?
A: We all have an off night. I don’t think the last debate was my strongest presentation but as always I have prepared for the task at hand and feel ready to explain to Americans my vision for the nation, which is to unite our country in the common values of peace and prosperity to ensure that Donald Trump, a corrupt man who has abandoned rule of law and basic freedoms, is not president; and to bring my decades of experience in managing a city and a business to running a government that listens to those at the bottom and those in the middle and those at the top. We have to promote policies that help the working class, which I have done; to address climate change, which I have worked on for years; to bring about smart gun legislation, which I know how to do; and to be a calm, experienced moderate who will appeal to all voters. So to answer the question, I always learn from the past and I stand here before Americans tonight offering a bold vision of a united America where progressives, liberals, independents and yes, conservatives, can feel welcome and where we address urgent problems of war and peace; of daily life; and of a future for our grandchildren that we can be proud of.
Q: In the last debate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren pressed you about your treatment of women and asked you to release three women from the non-disclosure agreements resulting from settlements of actions they brought against your company for harassment. You refused but then took the recommendation and reversed yourself. Can you explain that?
Yes. First, let me say that I am the father of two wonderful daughters who were raised with good values, and I know how to respect women and men, and to treat all people with fairness. I have promoted women at all levels of business and government. In 30 years of work, I had a few people who were unhappy with me and they filed suits, which were settled, and the parties agreed not to talk about them. I didn’t feel, on the spot, that I should make a legal decision live on the air, to change those agreements without being careful and judicious. So I checked with attorneys after the debate and was able to change things to release the women from legal restrictions to speak freely. I think people should look at my record on promoting women, providing equal pay, and supporting women. In fact, I think people should look at my record on all marginalized individuals and know that I am someone who is fair, honest, and the only one on this stage who has built something. Most important, I am the one who can stand up to the biggest bully to women and marginalized groups, Donald Trump, and win. That is what this election is about.
Q: Stop-and-frisk is still dogging you. Can you set the record straight tonight about what happened and why.
A: Sure. That policy was a mistake. I apologize, as I have done in the past, for any harm it caused people of color and young men, in particular. It was a bad policy. I am sorry that it started and glad that it ended. End of point. I learned from the mistake. At the same time, if you look at my record it speaks to a commitment to racial justice — to programs aimed at helping lift up young men and women of all faiths and of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. I care about people. I feel the pain of others. I live in a city that is a rainbow of sorts and a nation that is a rainbow, and I am going to take my good experiences and give people tangible results as well as hope. What matters now is hope and how to translate hope into action, which means knowing how to reach across the aisle to get things done — not how to polarize people. It is time for the divisions and scapegoating to end. It’s time for America to be America. It’s time for a change, and I am an agent of change that won’t pull us further apart.
Tara D. Sonenshine, a former U.S. undersecretary of state in the Obama administration, advises students at The George Washington University.
